Florida State stymies George Washington in BB&T Classic

WASHINGTON (AP) Xavier Rathan-Mayes and C.J. Walker both scored 11 points as Florida State used a suffocating defense to defeat short-handed George Washington 67-48 on Sunday in the BB&T Classic.

Dwayne Bacon added 10 points for the Seminoles (7-1), who have won three in a row since a Thanksgiving Day loss to Temple in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Florida State never trailed while badgering George Washington (5-4) with their size and length. The Colonials committed 18 turnovers and shot just 22.6 percent from the floor and 17.4 percent from 3-point range. George Washington especially struggled in the first half, shooting 20 percent while committing 11 turnovers en route to a 35-19 deficit.

Florida State, which led as many as 35, dominated inside with a 34-18 scoring advantage in the paint.

George Washington played without two of its regulars. Junior guard Yuta Watanabe, the team's second-leading scorer, missed his fourth consecutive game with a calf injury. Graduate student Patrick Steeves sat out his second game in a row with a knee injury.

The Seminoles kept Colonials forward Tyler Cavanaugh, the team's top scorer at 18.1 points per game, to just eight points and six rebounds. Kevin Marfo led George Washington with a career-high 18 points.

BIG PICTURE

Florida State: Leonard Hamilton's team, which routinely visited the Washington area when Maryland was still in the ACC, showed off its depth against George Washington. Eleven Seminoles scored in the rout.

George Washington: The Colonials, who edged South Florida 68-67 on Saturday, were overwhelmed by Florida State while playing their second game in a little more than 24 hours.

UP NEXT

Florida State has a quick turnaround when it returns home and plays host to Southern Mississippi on Tuesday. It's the start of a three-game homestand over six days for the Seminoles.

George Washington travels to Philadelphia on Wednesday to begin a home-and-home series against former Atlantic 10 rival Temple. The teams last met when Temple earned a 90-77 victory in the 2015 NIT.